A New Essay over at Dirt

"These are the parts of life they don’t show in the movies."

Team!

A quick note to say that I published an essay today thanks to the kind folks at Dirt. It's about theaters at the mall, sneaking stolen food into cineplexes, and—to quote my friend Conner—"the parts of life they don't show in the movies." 

Here's a short excerpt:

“We would enter the theater with our oversized jackets and wide, loose jeans stuffed with off-brand candy bars and Pringles-shaped—but not Pringles brand—potato chips, along with Sam’s Cola soda, Dr. Thunder, and lemon lime Twist Up.”

Click here to read the entire piece. 

It's also worth mentioning that Dirt published one of my favorite essays of 2023, "Bad Waitress," by Becca Schuh. Here's a taste:

“A book critic once told me, 'a website could never be staffed by service people, the quality of the writing would be too low,' and I wanted to laugh. I suspect it’s easier to teach a waitress to be a writer than an intellectual to be a waiter.”

It's a beautiful piece of art about, well, working and art. Read it. Then, consider subscribing to Dirt. They're doing a phenomenal job over there of covering culture and publishing great writers.

Plus, look how cute their mascot is:

Art by David Alderman

Oh, one last thing. Here's the house I mention in the essay:

Ok! That's it from me. Hope everyone's February is off to a great start! 🍓

Looking for another way to support me? Consider picking up a paperback copy of Dirtbag, Massachusetts for yourself or a pal. Thank you!